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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Life is full of surprises, many of which turn out to be financial. Even if you are an excellent budgeter there will probably be something that comes completely out of the blue that will knock you for six.

Many experts suggest having at least nine months’ worth of income saved up for these unexpected and unplanned for costs. This is rather a huge amount and it’s not always possible. But you can prepare by being aware of some of the most common expenses that are rarely planned for.

Take a look over these expenses and try to find out a way of putting a little bit of money aside each month just in case they affect you in the future.

Presents and Gifts

It is quite astonishing how much money you can spend on buying gifts for others. You may have already planned ahead for special events such as Christmas and even set aside money for the birthdays of family and friends but what about when a friend has a baby, a christening, marriages, your children’s’ friends birthdays, retirements, new homes, or engagements. Life is full of times when gifts are given that fall outside of the usual routine.

Legal Bills

You may need to find the money to cover your legal bills. These can arise in all sorts of situations such as selling a home, illegal activity, suing someone and you should also consider the costs of making alterations to your will and testament, rental agreement or the Cost of gaining power of attorney. Legal bills can cost a small fortune so plan ahead and put money aside now.

Health Related Costs

Medical costs are another expense that can suddenly knock you for six. You may have to cover the cost of prescriptions, have surgery or diagnostic treatments or pay for long term care. Insurance is another expense as well as routine check-ups. It all costs money if you are unable to get the treatment for free or if you would prefer to use a private health care option.

Transportation Costs

Cars eat money when they are healthy and on the road let alone when they need attention. The work required to upkeep a care is constant. You will have service charges but also have to cover the costs of accidents, general wear and tear such as replacing brake pads and tires. If you have a car you will definitely benefit on building up some savings to dip into in the future.

Losing a Job or Clients

There are not many careers out there that now guarantee that you will be in work for years to come. Finding yourself unemployed can be nerve-wracking. You should aim to have at least three months’ worth of wages saved up just in case the firm you work for closes down or needs to make some cut backs. If you are a freelancer you will also need to prepare for times when work slows down between contracts.

By saving you can at least work to soften the blow of unexpected expenses. Start saving now for a more comfortable future.

The author is a freelance copywriter with an interest in personal and business finance. His work has been frequently published on websites and blogs as well as in magazines over the past four years. Besides writing about finance he also has an interest in writing articles about small business start-ups.

1 comment:

Many of the legal costs you mention (wills, rental agreements, living trusts) can be handled using free forms available from your state's web site or at low cost from someplace like Nolo Press. I am always worried about losing our income. Thus we have 12 months of expenses in our emergency fund.

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